


Demons: Making a Mess All Over the City

by celestial_seraphim



Category: Devilman (Anime & Manga)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Hunters, Gen, M/M, a no apocalypse happens au, and the boys are happy together hunting demons and ghosts, basically taking some stuff from supernatural like the hunting and bringing in devilman stuff too
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-06-01
Packaged: 2019-03-15 08:52:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13609884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestial_seraphim/pseuds/celestial_seraphim
Summary: It has been years since Akira first delved into the hidden world of demons with Ryo and becoming a demon of sorts himself. Now, he lives off in the countryside, hoping to simply live a peaceful life. All of that changes when Ryo shows up at his door out of breath and in a panic. Demons have gotten to his father, and now a town may be in danger because of this. It seems the two of them will be going back into the world of demon hunting and mending the relationship they had. (I suck at summaries sometimes, but here you go.)





	1. Chapter 1

Akira woke up from a dead sleep at bright sunlight shining right on his face. With a groan, he managed to sit upright, holding his head in his hands. His throat was extremely parched and dry. He barely managed to swallow without grimacing as it felt like grinding sandpaper. Already regretting breathing that much fire, he got himself up and onto unsteady legs. He needed food badly, and he wasn’t sure where he was even going to get enough to stifle this hunger. It was his body completely drained from shifting into the demon form last night, and it needed nourishment. He still wore the same clothes he had on last night, but a shower would have to come later. Right now, food and water were the only things on his mind. It was that force, that need that made him walk forward and out of the room. The hallway itself was filled with the smell of hot food, making Akira’s mouth instantly water. He found himself breaking into a run, nearly leaping down the stairs in one jump. He hadn’t even noticed that Ryo was sitting there. All he saw at the time was the buffet of food. Manners were the last thing on his mind right now as he ran over and instantly started devouring any food in front of him. He nearly ate all that was there, finishing it off by chugging a whole jug of orange juice. The workers stared in a shocked sort of awe as they watched the whole thing happen. Once the hunger and thirst were sated, he sat down at the table, panting and wiping his mouth. It was when he finally took notice of the scene and people around him that his cheeks grew hot. Quickly grabbing a napkin, he politely wiped his mouth, feeling the sting of embarrassment.

   “Thought you’d be pretty hungry when you woke up, so I arranged that whole buffet for you,” Ryo said, glancing up from the magazine he’d been reading.

   “Well, you should’ve stopped me before I did that in front of all these people. Aren’t I supposed to be your assistant and not the demon?” he asked, whispering the last part. “They’re probably already suspicious of me.”

   “No worries. I just told them you had a really big appetite like an unusually big one. I made up some story on how you had gotten possessed for a little bit then had an exorcism, but the hunger has just always stayed with you. Believe me, they have no clue.” Ryo talked and continued to read, not looking up at him. It did set Akira at ease a bit at least for the time being.

   “Any feelings on last night at all? Your father is dead, but I don’t really see you reacting to that like at all.”

   “I’m processing it in my own way. You know I process things differently than you. You always wear your emotions on your sleeve. I wear them..deeper down.” He glanced up to meet Akira’s glare with a blank face.

   “Fine, whatever,” Akira grumbled, looking off to the side.

   “Excellent job last night by the way. You have a great handle on those fire abilities.” Ryo placed the magazine to the side and sipped on his coffee. It annoyed Akira to no end how he just ate up a whole buffet like some kind of maniac while Ryo sat here all pretty, poised, and polite.

   “Thanks. I have a better grasp on my abilities, better control besides the whole getting really hungry thing.”  
Ryo nodded, standing up once he finished his coffee. He looked as elegant and poised as ever, wearing a whole white outfit that looked like a more fashionable motor suit.

   “If you’re ready to go, we should leave as soon as possible. Other hunters are already starting to flock here with news of a demon fight. We should move onto our next job anyway.” He beckoned for Akira to follow as he started to walk towards the front doors. Without much of a choice, Akira stood up and jogged up to him to walk by his side.

   “Already have another job, huh? Guess this is going to be a longer term thing?” he said with a sigh, keeping his hands in his pockets.  
“If you want to leave, you can do so whenever you want. I’ve fought demons without you before. You were just..the only one I could think to go to last night, but from everything that’s happened to you because of me, I would never force you to do anything. I’ve hurt you enough in the past.” Ryo’s voice dropped in volume, becoming softer.

   “Well, you did make a demon possess me not knowing if I’d be able to gain control and nearly caused the apocalypse,” Akira said matter of factly, peeking over at him with one eye to gauge his reaction. “But..you and I have been friends for a long time. You were in trouble, so I helped you. My life has been going somewhat okay, slowly getting better, and this is interesting stuff that we’re doing. We are helping people, so I suppose I’ll stick with it a while longer.”

   “Thank you..Akira,” Ryo said quietly, wearing a slight smile. “I promise this’ll be fun.”  
Akira cleared his throat and turned his head to the side as he felt his cheeks start to heat up. “Uh, y-yeah. I’m sure it will.”  
Once they were outside, Akira turned his head forward again and ran into someone who felt very bulky. The force caused him to be pushed back somewhat and fall right on his ass.

   “Geez, what’s the big idea?” Akira groaned. His eyes widened as he saw an incredibly tall and most likely ripped man towering over him. Akira didn’t have much time to react as he suddenly reached down and grabbed a fistful of his shirt, yanking him into the air.

   “The big deal is you should watch where you’re going, string bean,” he said, shaking him slightly.

   “Alright, I..I didn’t mean anything by it,” Akira choked out, struggling to yank his shirt free. The guy looked like he was seriously about to murder him.

   “That’s my assistant you’re man handling. Please put him down.” Ryo stood by him, AK-15 in hand. He had snagged it from the motorcycle while the altercation happened. “I’m a hunter as well, so I apologize for his rude behavior. He’s new.”

The hunter looked over Ryo, eyes focusing on the gun in his hand. He let Akira go by throwing him to the ground. “Better teach him some manners, then.” He studied Ryo once more. “Are you the hunter with the demon familiar? Took down a nasty demon here last night?”

   “That’s right.” He nodded. “It went down in blue flames. There’s nothing left of it.”

   “I apologize. I didn’t realize you were the hunter that saved this town. My group and I have had a rough go of it. We lost two to vampires and another one got possessed. I had to put a blessed bullet through her head myself before she started killing all of us.” There was a sort of far off, remorseful look in his eyes.

   “It’s understandable. Akira should’ve been looking where he was going. Thanks for not causing any damage to him.” Akira got back on his feet and bowed a bit in apology, backing up to stand behind Ryo.

   “Listen, kids, and especially since you use a demon as a familiar. Never trust a demon ever, no matter what promises or stories they tell you. That’s how they get to you. You should only use that demon for a little while. It’s smarter to use it once then destroy it. If you keep it around for a while, it’ll get to you eventually. Good luck with your hunting.”  
Akira stayed on edge until the man went inside the inn, breathing a sigh of relief.

   “And that’s a prime example of why we shouldn’t hang around or team up with other hunters. Most of them become hunters because they or people they cared about got hurt or killed by demons and monsters. You’d be in danger if any of them find out about you. Got it?” Ryo walked back over to the motorcycle, securing the gun into one of the side compartments on it.

   “Yeah, geez, I definitely got that.” Akira wiped a bit of sweat off his brow and went over to join Ryo. He tried his best to calm down, leaning against the bike and taking a few deep breaths. He knew demons were feared, but he didn’t realize just how deep the hatred went for some people. “So, uh, where are we going next? You said you already had one picked out?”

   “Yes, it’s a small city about forty-five minutes from here. The people there are living in fear of some creature or figure of sorts that they’ll see in their homes. Not sure what it is exactly, but that’s why we’re going there. No one has gotten taken or killed by it yet, but there was a man who was almost abducted by it, so he claims.”

Akira nodded, taking in all the information. It definitely sounded like something demonic, that or a hallucination. Seeing that Ryo was ready, he got on and started up the bike. The engine roared to life then went down to a steady rumbling. He gripped onto the handlebars tightly when he felt Ryo press up against him from behind and held onto his waist. Akira passed him the spare helmet after he put his on. He glanced back to make sure he actually put it on. Once they were all set, he revved the engine and took off. He looked back to the town using the mirror just once, watching it grow smaller and smaller as they headed east.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for graphic violence in this chapter, demon being torn apart and all

Akira soared high into the sky. It was a clear night, the sky teeming with stars. Even some of the Milky Way belt could be seen with the lack of light pollution out in the country. The moon was full and bright, casting its ghostly light down to the world below. It made it even easier for Akira to spot the town in the distance along with the ashen trail left by the demon. It had gotten farther than he thought, already upon the town. It wasn’t long before screams of terror filled the air. He grit his teeth and flew faster, folding his wings to start going into a sharp dive once he was over the town. Once the demon was in sight, he slowed up but still dove feet first right on top of it. It was right in the process of devouring someone when Akira landed on it. The sheer force caused bones to snap, and it cried out in a piercing scream as it was driven into the ground.

    “Sorry, Dr. Asuka,” he muttered before driving a clawed hand right into it, puncturing it deep to rip out the heart. He crushed the pumping lump of flesh right in his fist. Blood was already seeping into the ground, and he tossed the dead organ to the ground once it ceased moving. He could feel a struggling near the front of the thing to find the person being eaten was still alive, attempting to claw their way out in a panic. With a strong pull, Akira got them out of there and to the safety of the town. As he expected, they ran away from him right away. It was something he was used to as an intimidating looking demon himself. Movement from the crushed demon caught his attention before a tendril wrapped around his wrist. However, it was too weak to pull him in any direction.

   “I’m surprised you managed to stay alive,” he said, walking slowly up to the thing. Ryo must be close. He could hear the engine of his motorcycle getting nearer.

   “I thought you were done with this charade, Amon. Why not take advantage of humans? They’re weak,” it said with a gurgle as blood spilled out of its mouth, creating a puddle on the ground.

   “I’ve heard enough of that. I’m a human. You think we’re weak? I was strong enough to overcome Amon and take his form. Now, he’s rotting in whatever crevice he got put into. The same is going to happen to you,” he spat before letting out a deafening roar that shook the nearby buildings. Before the next roar, the inside of his throat glowed a brilliant blue. The next one brought a stream of blue flames that quickly engulfed the demon. There wasn’t much of a struggle as the silhouette writhed for a few seconds before going still. The intensity of the flames burned it away completely until all that was left was a pile of ash. As soon as it disappeared, the fire did as well. Breathing heavily, Akira walked over to the small pile and knelt by it.

   “Rest in peace. I hope you’re finally free from your demon,” he said quietly. A few hot tears trickled from his eyes and onto the ash below. He wasn’t exactly sure why he was crying. It’s not like he knew Ryo’s dad very well, but he was crying nonetheless. “Humans aren’t weak.” He had thought that moving out into the country would give him peace from all the demonic stuff back in the city, but it seemed that even peaceful places like this were still plagued by demons. Akira suddenly whirled around when he felt something touch his tail, claws out and ready to defend himself. He immediately lowered them when he saw it was only a little girl, probably someone who lives in this town. He could spot two people cowering by the bushes close by, most likely her parents.

   “Are you one of the good monsters? You’re crying,” she said in an innocent tone, holding her teddy bear close to her. It never failed to amaze Akira that adults were cower and hide just from looking at him, yet children eagerly walked up to him all the time.

   “Someone that I knew was possessed by that demon. I think he’s finally at peace. Your town is safe,” he said, wiping the tears away.  
Seeing that he wasn’t going to attack their child, the parents emerged from the bushes little by little.

   “Are you with a hunter? Is your master or handler nearby?” the father asked, still too afraid to come any closer.

   “Handler?” Akira asked, cocking his head to the side. “Listen, I’m not owned by-“

   “Heeey, there you are you big, beautiful beast!” Ryo suddenly ran up, playfully locking Akira’s head in head lock. “I’m the hunter. This here’s my demon helper, kind of like my attack dog. He won’t hurt you. I promise.”

   “Ryo, what are you-“ Akira growled.

   “Just go along with it,” Ryo whispered, shooting him a look. “He did a good job, didn’t he? He’s my number one demon.” Akira went back to his overly friendly voice. Akira could recognize that fake tone anywhere.

   “What a relief that you showed up when you did. We were afraid that demon was going to kill all of us,” the mother said, running to her daughter’s side.

   “You’re welcome to stay here for the night. I’m sure something can be arranged with the local inn. You did save us after all.”

   “Right, right, thank you. I’m just going to have a talk with my demon here, send him back to his dimension or whatever. My assistant is nearby, so I better get him before he gets himself lost. He’s so clueless when it comes to directions,” he laughed and started to push Akira into the woods a little ways. As soon as they were out of ear shot, Akira turned around, grasping Ryo by his shoulders.

   “Ryo, what the hell? What were you saying back there? I’m not some demon slave to you!” he snarled.

   “Cool it, Akira! Those were all lies obviously. How do you think they’re going to react to you turning into a human? Plus, if other hunters show up here and hear about that, you’re going to become a target. It’s better that they think the demon you is my familiar or whatever you want to call it, and human you is my assistant. It’s going to make things a lot easier, trust me.” Ryo swatted his claws and straightened his coat out.

   “I..guess that’s a good point. Wait, wait, there are other hunters?”

   “Well, of course. With the new surge of demons, ghosts, and monsters about, hunters have been popping up frequently. It’s becoming a popular job, and after what happened with my father, I want in. I know you have your own reasons too. You’re welcome to go back to what you were doing before, but I’d rather have a partner than going at it alone or with some stranger. And thanks..by the way..for helping my dad,” he said the last part quietly, darting his eyes towards the ground.

   “It’s no problem, Ryo. You know that.” He thought about it for a moment, flicking his tail to and fro. “I suppose this all is rather interesting. I’ll help you out for a little while, alright? But this is all tentative, got it?”

   “Oh, so crystal clear, Akira,” Ryo said back with his usual smirk.  
With a deep breath, Akira shifted back to his usual self, holding his head from the throbbing that usually accompanied it. “Come on, let’s get to that inn.” He wrapped an arm around Akira’s shoulders, letting him lean against him as needed and walked back over to where he parked the motorcycle.  
Akira rested in the lounge area while Ryo took care of getting them a room. He massaged his temples as he attempted to relax. It was the sound of Ryo’s footsteps approaching that made him look up.

   “Got us a room. For free too.” He helped Akira over to it. “And I should warn you. This place is probably going to be swarming with hunters by morning. Talk of a possession and demon attack spreads fast. It’s best you especially keep a low profile.”

   “Sounds good and all, Ryo. Right now, I just want to sleep,” Akira muttered. As soon as they got to the room, Akira immediately headed for the bed. He fell asleep almost instantly as soon as his head hit the pillow. Right now, all that was on his mind was rest and hopefully the slight burning in his throat would be gone by morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always liked the idea that Akira could breathe fire as devilman, so I indulged in that x)


	3. Chapter 3

It was early afternoon, and they decided to take a pit stop so they could stretch their legs. It was a quaint spot with a wooded area with some picnic tables. Ryo sipped on some water while Akira went to use the bathroom. There were still so many feelings swirling around inside of him, but he kept it inside, focusing his gaze on the trees. Before his father’s condition had gotten worse, he had joined him on several ethnographic studies along with a few archaeological sites. During the demonic incidents and nearly unleashing the apocalypse, he had forgotten about his own passion for anthropology. The time with his father allowed him to learn more about ancient cults, depictions of demons, and witchcraft. The idea of witchcraft brought a few ideas to mind when thinking about how him and Akira should move forward with this. There was no doubt that they’d definitely run into more hunters, hunters like the one that pushed Akira, ones that absolutely hated demons. He’d have to have some explanation for using Akira in his demon form. It was an idea that could work but could also put him in more danger, not just from demons but the hunters as well. If he could pull this off, things would work out great for the both of them.

He was snapped out of his daze by Akira’s footsteps approaching the table. He let out a relieved sigh as he sat down across from him.

   “That feels a lot better. I think I was holding it in for the last like ten miles,” Akira said as he stretched his arms above his head. “Oh, I know that look. You’ve been thinking about something, right? Is it Dr. Asuka?”

   “Yes, I have been thinking about that actually, but it’s not the only thing. I thought about my father’s work that I helped him with before his condition worsened. It was mostly studying occult aspects of different cultures ancient and current. One specific thing that interested me was witch craft and how different cultures dealt with it. Obviously, a lot of it is negative. Many witches bring curses and can curse people. Some would take measures to ensure they wouldn’t get cursed by a witch if one was known to be in the area. Now, thinking about witches had me thinking. My explanation to the people that you were my demon familiar worked that time, but I could tell they were giving me questioning looks like how could a human boy like you control such a powerful demon? So, I have decided that I will be a witch.” Ryo stopped talking there, gauging Akira’s reaction. He started with his usual look of concentration, eyebrows raising at the last part. He covered his mouth in an attempt to hide his chuckle.

   “Wait, a witch? Are you serious, Ryo? How is that going to make more sense to people?”

   “I can say I’m a powerful witch who made a contract with the demon, that’s you and only I have the power of control over you, so that’ll hopefully make them not mess with me. I’ll have to do a bit of acting, but that part will be fun anyway. However, it does come with its own sort of dangers. It’s true that in our industrialized societies, witch hunts aren’t an ‘official’ thing anymore, but that doesn’t mean negative feelings towards the occult and witches have just gone away. The fear is still there, and now with this outbreak of demons, it’s only increased. I’m going to have to be careful with how I act.” He took a few more drinks of his water. “And I’ll tell you why, Akira. Dying as a witch is one of the worst ways to die. To many, you can’t simply kill a witch. The witch’s curse can still live on and torment the living. No, to kill a witch, they must be completely destroyed: mind and body. This leads to horrible torture before death.” Ryo was shaking slightly just from thinking about it. Akira gave him a worried look and slowly placed his hand over Ryo’s in a comforting gesture.

   “You won’t have to worry about that, Ryo. If it’s a witch you must be, then I know you can the most intimidating witch ever, and with me as your demon, they definitely won’t mess with you. So, would human me still be your assistant?” he asked, deciding to change the subject.

   “Of sorts, yes. Although, I’m going to change it a bit. I’m going to call you my consort: the one who humanizes me, makes me a bit less intimidating to talk to since you’re there.” Ryo smirked at Akira’s reaction.

   “Wait, consort? Isn’t that kind of like a..romantic thing?” he asked in a small voice, nervously glancing elsewhere.

   “It can, but it also means to accompany someone. You overthink things sometimes, Akira,” he chuckled and stood up, stretching his legs some. Now that the plan was cleared up, he was ready to put it in motion.

   “Oh, r-right! Well, you certainly do have the look of a witch with the white clothes and the long coat. You get that mischievous look in your eyes sometimes.” Akira hurried after him as Ryo started to walk back over to the motorcycle.

   “Well, it’s currently too hot for the coat, but thank you.”

Like before, Ryo was cuddled up right against Akira with his arms wrapped around his waist as he was getting ready to start the bike up. Akira felt the usual burning sensation on his cheeks, feeling Ryo’s body heat. His heart was thumping in his chest as he tried to keep the feeling under control. Over the years of being a hybrid, he had gradually gained control over the various urges and things that came from his demon side. However, when it came to Ryo, that practiced control was out the window.

   “You alright? I can feel your heart pounding. Don’t tell me you’re nervous for this next job.” He used his usual teasing tone. He merely acted oblivious, but he was fully aware of how Akira reacted to being touched by him. He smirked at just how much he tried to hide it.

   “Oh, i-it’s nothing. I’m just excited for the new job is all.” He laughed it off, hoping that would help to calm himself down. Boy was he wrong. This made Ryo wrap his arms around him tighter, so his chest was pushed right up against his back, lips right by his ear.

   “Nothing, huh? You know, there shouldn’t be secrets between us, Akira. You’re going to be my consort after all as well as my demon.” His tone was playful and soft, saying it right by his ear.

   “Ryo,” he breathed, clutching tightly onto the handlebars. Of course, Ryo would know how to get him going. “We-we can talk about this later, okay? I don’t want to get all worked up right before we head out.”

   “Fine by me,” he chuckled. He backed up some to give him a bit of space. He was still rather close but not pressed right up against him.

Akira took a deep breath before starting up the bike, taking off soon after. They only had about twenty more minutes before they reached the city being afflicted by the shadow figures. Akira felt himself relax the further down the road they were, though he was still a bit heated from what Ryo had done before. It had brought about feelings from deep down, feelings that he had never really gotten over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's like a strange version of Psych with witches and demons!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chapter this time, mostly dialogue heavy to set up for the next one.

They arrived in the city in the afternoon, sun still high and bright in the sky. Ryo directed Akira to a hotel he had booked a room for them in. They could relax for a bit before starting their investigation. Akira still wasn’t sure about this whole demon hunting gig even if it was rather fun to hunt demons. However, it had been so long since the falling out between them. He wanted to know more about what Ryo had been doing since then. He couldn’t deny that he was still sore about it, but it had been years since then. They both had time to change and grow. On the surface Ryo still seemed like Ryo, but he had to have changed in some way as well.

Once they arrived, he parked the bike in the parking garage attached and followed after Ryo. He kept the guns locked up in the compartments on the bike but made sure to lock them tightly. Both of them carried small duffels. Of course Ryo would choose a fancy looking place like this. He was probably still loaded and still refused to tell Akira how he had gotten so much money. It’s not like he desperately needed to know, but he was still curious. When they walked into the room, he found himself oddly fixated on the way the sunlight shining in through the windows shone on Ryo’s hair. It glinted an even lighter color than it usually was.

   “So, I suppose you have a lot of questions for me,” Ryo said, breaking the silence and snapping Akira out of his little trance.

   “Uh, well, yeah, of course I do. You can tell me details on this job we’re on later. I think a conversation on what happened and what we’ve been doing since then is long over due.” He made himself comfortable on a couch as Ryo went over to make himself some coffee. “I don’t know how you drink that stuff. Coffee’s always tasted gross to me.” He stuck his tongue out thinking about the bitter taste when Ryo let him taste it one time.

   “It’s an acquired taste. You always preferred sweet things anyway,” he chuckled and soon returned with a mug, taking a seat on the other side of the couch.  
Akira glanced over at him, hoping that he didn’t notice that he was looking him over. “I like the undercut by the way. It looks good on you.”

   “Thank you. I see you’ve kept the same style.” His blue eyes looked over Akira, seeing the same old sweeping bangs and sideburns. “I’ll say this now to hopefully make things a bit less awkward. I’m sorry for all that happened. I had gotten caught up in the moment. I really didn’t mean to expose you like that, but I did. I know there’s not much I can really say to make up for that, so I ran. I thought it best to stay away from you, and let you sort your own life out too.” There was a silence as Akira processed what he was saying, letting it sink in.

   “Yeah, well, the Makimuras know about my devil side now thanks to you. They still care about me, but I thought it was best to move away until all the craziness died down. There’s also a surge of demons in the world now too.” Akira looked away, focusing his gaze on the floor. Honestly, he wanted to punch him, get his frustrations out physically, but he restrained himself to let Ryo speak. “So, where did you go? What did you do? Tell me everything that led up to when you came running for my help with your father.”

   “It began with my father after everything. He was getting ready to leave to go abroad for research, studying different cultures, focusing on depictions of demons, the supernatural, and witchcraft. He was surprised when I asked him to take me with him. I was his assistant, kind of like an internship I guess. I tried to put all that happened behind me and essentially disappear. I focused on his work, honing in my skills in anthropology. When we returned, I planned on enrolling in a university abroad and leaving for good. However, my father started to become ill once we returned. It started small, like he just had the flu, but it steadily became worse and worse until he was completely bed ridden. My focus shifted to taking care of him, staying exclusively in the house in the woods. I basically ghost wrote his latest book on his research since he was too sick to do it himself. Turns out, he had been possessed by a demon. He was being consumed body and soul, but he fought until the end. When the demon finally won and took over, that’s when I came running to you. I can’t explain what led me to where you live now. That’s just where I ran to.” Ryo took a sip of his coffee once he finished, expecting Akira to ask him for more details. He had a right to know after all.

   “I see,” Akira finally said, thinking it all over. “I’ve been focusing on academic things too. Again, I’m sorry about your dad. He was really cool. What I’ve been doing is not as interesting as yours. I was just living life, going to classes, going on dates, and trying to get things back to normal. No demon stuff for me recently.”

   “Any of those dates go well?” Ryo asked curiously.

   “Nah, one night stands mostly, but it was still fun,” he said with a shrug, giving Ryo a suspicious look. “Even after all that went down, I’m still glad to see you again. I’ll admit that I kind of missed all our little adventures.” He really hoped that Ryo didn’t spot the hint of a blush on his cheeks.

   “Well, I’m glad you’ve been doing well.” Ryo found himself knitting his fingers together, a usual nervous habit of his. He remembered several native people saying remarks on that. They said he always thought with his hands.

   “Um, anyways, could you explain what we’re doing here?” Akira asked, deciding to change the subject. He could very easily start crying if they reminisced too much. “You said something about shadowy figures kidnapping people here?”

   “Uh, yes, that’s what’s happening. It seems to be happening all over, but I think I’ve pinpointed it to two epicenters of activity: a nightclub and a church. The nightclub is a predominantly gay one. Some accounts say that these figures will snatch people up while they’re unaware of their surroundings like on the dance floor. The church is one of those modern mega church type things. Some of the youth there say there is a strong presence there that hides and watches them. I think we should focus on those areas. There would be no point in running around all over the place trying to find individual figures. It’s clear that something bigger is controlling them.” Ryo couldn’t help but smirk at the look on Akira’s face at the mention of a gay nightclub. He wondered if Akira had ever even been to one.

   “Well, sounds like you have a definite plan. Where should we start?”

   “Seeing as this is a Saturday, we should start with the club. It’ll be packed since it’s going to be a Saturday night. I already have an outfit that’ll make me fit right in, but we may need to go shopping for you.”  
Akira gulped as he nodded. Personally, he had never even been to an actual nighclub, let alone a gay one. Since he had had time to himself, he had time to explore his sexuality more, becoming more comfortable with it, but he still felt extremely nervous at the idea, especially at going with Ryo. He still couldn’t place exactly how he felt about Ryo. It had always been complicated, and being a dumb teenager at the time didn’t help.

   “Y-yeah, I might need to do some shopping, make myself look more sexy for the occasion. Demons love sexy, right? Haha.” As always, Ryo wore that amused look, the one that always pissed Akira off because of how smug he looked. He wasn’t sure what he was getting himself into now, but if it involved Ryo, it was bound to be an interesting time.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, here's the actual chapter. AO3 wasn't working right for me last night so I may have accidentally posted something else here by mistake, but it's all fixed now! ^^

Ryo pulled Akira along the sidewalk by his hand. He already had a store in mind they should stop in. He definitely could use some new clothes to blend in at the club. It was a rather big city after all. They were bound to see some pretty wild stuff there and not just the demons. It reminded him a lot of Tokyo with the towering sky scrapers all around, taking over the sky above them. It was nice to see familiar scenery. He remembered spending time in the jungle with his dad for his ethnographic research. The city seemed like a far away dream then.

   “Ryo, do you have to hold my hand? People are gonna think we’re like..’together together,’” Akira whined, though he didn’t seem to be making much of an effort to let go of his hand.

   “Oh, Akira, stop being a baby. Holding hands isn’t something only couples do, but I’ll oblige for now.” He let go of Akira’s hand with a smirk at the obvious flustered expression on his face. It was doing the thing where only his cheeks blatantly turn red, and they did in fact turn even redder. Ryo was teasing him again.

   “So, um, you told me a bit about what you’ve been doing all this time. I’m sure with your looks you must’ve dated a lot of women, and, uh, got some? If that’s the right to say that, anyway, give me the details on that.” Akira knew he probably just made things even more awkward the way he phrased that, but he was genuinely curious having never been abroad before.

   “Ohhh, I never told you..” Ryo looked over at him for a moment, contemplating on how he should word this. Even with all the time he had spent with Akira, he had never ended up telling him about his preferences and something else, but that was for another time.

   “Uh, no? You never told me about any action you got while you were away. That’s what I just asked.” Akira scratched the back of his head, not sure what Ryo was starting to go on about.

   “When we were younger, I never did get the courage to tell you. You kept trying to set me up with girls, and I would try to tell you but would lose the courage to do so and act uninterested, so I’ll say it clearly now.”

   “Uh, alright, shoot.”

   “Akira,” he started to say, having to clear his throat for a moment. What was so hard about this? He was more confident in himself now. “I’m not interested in women. I never really have been. Uh, I like men to put it simply. It’s pretty much always been that way. I just never got the guts to tell you those years ago.” He waited for the inevitable questions, comments, whatever was about to come out of his mouth.  
Akira stopped in his tracks, blinking a few times as he comprehended what Ryo just said. It’s not like he wasn’t completely surprised. It was true that Ryo never seemed to show an interest in women more than friendship, but still he wasn’t really expecting it.

   “What? You’re gay? How did I never figure that out?”

   “Well, I know things can go over your head sometimes. We were young kids in high school. I wouldn’t expect you to figure it out, and I never really said anything about it up front,” Ryo said with a shrug. People passing by gave them some annoyed glances at the two of them just standing in the middle of the sidewalk.

   “That’s true, but wow, thanks for telling me. Of course, I’m not gonna treat you differently or anything no way. Um, I’ve actually been discovering things about myself too if we’re confessing stuff now.” Akira twiddled his thumbs, feeling he should tell Ryo something since Ryo just revealed something about himself.

   “Sidewalk confessions, huh? My favorite, go ahead.”

   “Well, for me, I think I’m like..bisexual? I think that’s the right one for me. I mean, I still like girls, but I’ve had a few flings with guys too. I think both are pretty hot, so yeah, that’s my confession.” He felt his heart pounding in his chest the whole time, so much so that he could feel the pulse in his fingertips. He wasn’t sure why he was nervous. After all, Ryo had just told him he was gay.

   “Well, that’s great. I’m glad you’ve been coming into your own.” He gave him a smile and gestured for him to keep walking. “Come on, we shouldn’t keep clogging up the sidewalk. We have some shopping to do after all.”

   “R-right!” Akira hurried along to keep up with him. He did feel a slight weight off his chest, but there was still something bugging him. He wondered if Ryo had similar feelings..no, it wasn’t the right time for that. He chose to keep his mouth shut as he walked alongside Ryo. He followed him into what looked like a clothing store and a pretty expensive looking one. There was even a second story with even more stuff. Akira had never really been the high fashion type of guy, though he knew for sure Ryo was. He probably frequents places like this all the time.

   “So..what are we doing here exactly?” he asked following Ryo like a lost lamb.

   “We need the right clothes for going to this club. We have to look the part and fit in if we want to investigate the demon stuff thoroughly. Don’t worry. I’ll pick out some outfits for you,” he said, sneering a bit. “I think something that accentuates your legs would fit you best.”

   “M-my legs? Uh, sure, I mean you know more about fashion and such than I do. I’m putting my trust in you.”  
Ryo took him by the hand despite his protests. He played it off as just friends holding hands, but he secretly reveled in the feeling.

   “Ryo, I’m an adult, and I’ve lived in Tokyo which is way larger than this city. I’m not gonna get lost in a store,” he pouted and eventually just put up with it. It actually felt rather nice to him as well.  
Ryo sat him down by the changing rooms and scoped out the scene already picking out a few interesting clothes from where he was standing.

   “You stay here. I’ll come back with my picks,” he said, patting his head.

   “And you’re picking out clothes for me now? Seriously?” However, he did sort of trust his fashion sense. It couldn’t hurt to see what he came back with.

   “Have you been to a high end night club before and a gay one at that, Akira?” Ryo asked with a snide smirk.

   “Well, that’s, uh, once, okay! But I blacked out because I’m a total light weight. There I said it.”

   “Thought so. Be right back.”  
Akira crossed his arms, cheeks bright red as he didn’t have much of a choice but to wait for Ryo to come back with whatever he had in mind. He just prayed it wasn’t something super kinky or revealing. He didn’t dare look over when he heard Ryo’s footsteps approaching about ten minutes later.

   “Aren’t you gonna look or do I have to throw the clothes at you?” He was using that irritating teasing tone. Akira loved it but also loathed it at the same time. With a sigh of defeat, he finally looked over at him surprised to find he had relatively normal clothes that he was showing him. He had a few different dark skinny jeans of varying sizes, a black short sleeved button up, tank top, and v-neck. Akira instantly blushed the second he showed him the mesh top as well.

   “You know me. Black does suit me well, though I’m not sure about the mesh top. I like the other choices though.” He stood up to take them from him.

   “Good. I wasn’t exactly sure of the right pant size for you, so I picked out a couple, and just try on the mesh top at least then make your judgements.” He gestured over to the changing rooms.

   “What about you? Didn’t you pick out any clothes for yourself?” he asked, making his way over there.

   “Oh, I did. I had them put in a changing room while you weren’t looking. We can show off the new looks to each other.”  
Akira couldn’t help but wonder what kinds of clothes Ryo had picked out for himself. He stopped himself before his imagination ran too wild.  
Ryo judged his clothes first before he was going to do any sort of showing off. Luckily, one of the skinny jeans fit perfectly, a little too perfectly almost. The fabric hugged to his skin closely, really accentuating his legs.

   “You don’t think these are too tight, right? I think they’re fine, but they do show..a lot.” He tried not to stare at his own crotch for too long.

   “No, it’s perfect. Perfectly outlines your ass and crotch. You’ll be irresistible. What top are you going with?” Ryo’s eyes focused on those areas, and he could only imagine the look on Akira’s face.

   “Oh, well, don’t get me wrong, the mesh top is great, but I don’t think I’m ready to rock that just yet. I’m going with the pretty tight fitting tank top. It shows off my pecs well, which is..good, right?”

   “Yeah, now you’re getting the idea,” he chuckled and winked at him as he made his way to his changing room. “No peeking, okay?” He gave Akira one last look before heading in. It wasn’t long until he slowly came out donning a white and gold accented outfit: shorts that were more like booty shorts and a loose fitting crop top.

   “I picked this out because it’ll catch the attention of the whole place, don’t you think?”  
Akira’s brain was currently trying to comprehend what he was seeing and trying to come up with a sentence that would perfectly describe the outfit, but he found himself at a loss for words.

   “Mmhmm, real cute,” he managed to say, giving him a thumbs up. He could feel his head getting hot and some other places just looking him up and down. This mission was going to be harder than he thought.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally here!  
> Just a lil warning for a bit of feeling up

The rest of the afternoon was spent back at the hotel getting ready for the night going undercover to the night club. The markings under Akira’s eyes he had gotten when he fused with Amon basically made it look like he was wearing eyeliner all the time, so that was enough for him. He stood in front of the mirror wearing the new black skinny jeans and form fitting shirt Ryo had picked out for him. It was a rather sexy look if he did say so himself. He found himself turning to and fro to check out how he looked from different angles, fluffing his hair with his fingers. Evening was setting in, casting long shadows into the room from the towering buildings around them. The sunset outside created the perfect kind of mood lighting especially with the new clothes. He took out his phone and tried out a few selfies then a mirror shot. He didn’t usually do this very often, but he did feel pretty sexy.

He glanced over towards the bathroom where Ryo had been for a while. Akira was much faster at changing into clothes and getting ready than him it seemed. He basically just switched outfits, fixed his hair a bit, and called it good. He was sure Ryo was getting himself all dolled up. He chanced a look at the cracked door only to instantly look somewhere else when he clearly saw an ass. What made him even more embarrassed was the fact that he thought the ass was rather cute trying to swat the thought away.

   “Ryo, are you not even dressed yet?” he called from the mirror.

   “Were you peeking at me? For shame, Akira,” he teased, voice a bit muffled by the door. “It’s only been like ten minutes. I can’t help that you’re quick with getting ready for clubbing. I’m almost done with my make-up, alright?”

   “Yeah, yeah, I’m sorry. Guess we’re not leaving until after dark anyway.” Sitting on the bed, he turned on the TV, attempting to stop thinking about Ryo’s ass that he had just gotten a peek at, but it seemed to be burned into his memory. He had much better control over his urges, but this was definitely making it difficult and the demon side of him didn’t help.

Ryo wore a smug look on his face as he finished applying the gold highlight to his face along with a bit of mascara to accentuate his long eyelashes. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief that Akira only saw his ass. He slipped his black binder back on, adjusting that a bit to make sure it was fitting comfortably. Once he had his outfit on, he slowly walked out to show it off to Akira, performing a little twirl so the loose crop top would move with him. Akira could’ve sworn his jaw dropped just at seeing him. Those booty shorts showed nearly all of his legs: smooth and elegantly curved. The waistband was low enough to show off his sharp hip bones with their steep downward angle. Of course, there was that cute belly button of his that the crop top easily showed off. Akira could feel his head spin just looking at him. It reminded him of outfits he often imagined him wearing or even in a few dreams, ones he would never ever tell to anyone.

   “Wow, you-you look great!” he managed to say, giving him a thumbs up. God, talk about cheesy and awkward.

   “Glad I have your approval,” Ryo chuckled, taking the time to look Akira over. “I definitely made the right choice with your outfit. You look smoking hot.”

Akira managed a nod, feeling slightly like his head was about to implode just from..everything. He couldn’t recall seeing Ryo show that much skin except maybe going to the beach. Even then, he usually still wore a shirt and shorts. He tried to focus his eyes anywhere else besides that tempting bare mid drift.  
They left for the club later in the evening around eight when the sun had already set. It wasn’t hard to find at all, simply going to the place with multiple colored lights coming from the entrance. The bass could be heard as a constant thrumming outside with a few groups loitering outside to smoke. Akira stuck close to Ryo, waiting in line to show their ID’s. He hadn’t set foot in a nigh club since Sabbath. All that happened in there really made him stay away from those places. It was rather similar this time except this club didn’t seem to be as underground and secretive. There was still demon activity though, and Akira was on high alert for any kind of presence of demons. So far, he didn’t sense much, just faint things in the background. Once inside, Ryo told him to find them a place to sit while he made his way over to the bar. The place was already quite packed with lights and music going. The dancefloor near the back of the large space was steadily filling up with more and more people. Akira wanted to avoid that for now unless he was invited. They weren’t here for fun. They had to gather information on where the demon activity was coming from or who could possibly be causing it. He supposed Ryo was all dressed up the way he was to get information out of people. Still, he couldn’t stand the thought of him letting someone feel him up just to get information. He wasn’t sure if he could even resist the urge to deck anyone who would do that. But why? He felt protective of Ryo, but it was hard to explain why exactly. He just wanted to keep him safe.  
Ryo took advantage of the social aspect of the bar to ask a few questions to the bar tender and anyone nearby. He wore a cute smirk as he leaned against it, batting his eyes seductively at anyone who met his gaze.

   “Oh yeah, I’ve heard of some people disappearing after the club closes. Someone told me they’ve seen shadow figures in here. It may just be the drinking and drugs or maybe this place is actually haunted,” the bar tender said with a shrug, handing Ryo his drinks. “The owner doesn’t seem to mind.”

   “Seems odd for the owner to not care that some of his patrons are going missing,” Ryo said, wearing a suspicious look. “Either way, I’ll keep my eye out for anything strange. My friend and I are hunters who are new in town. We’re here both to investigate and have a good time.”

   “Hunters, huh?” He gave Ryo an interested look. “I don’t think I’ve met one before. Do you really hunt demons?”

   “All the time. They’re practically scared just by seeing me,” he bragged even though it was a total lie. If anything, they were much more scared of Akira. “Well, anyway, I’ll probably see you again soon.” He blew him a kiss before sauntering back over to Akira.  
Akira had found two lounge chairs along with a small table that were open, giving Ryo a shy smile as soon as he returned.

   “I got you a nice sweet drink since I know you don’t like the taste of strong alcohol very much.” He handed him a Sex on the Beach cocktail, which Akira happily accepted.

   “Thanks, you know me oh so well,” he chuckled, taking a few sips and smiling at the sweet taste.

Ryo kept it simple for himself with a Jack and Coke, not being all that careful with drinking his. “So, here’s the initial plan. We’ll split up to cover more ground since this place is pretty big. It’s mostly getting information. You can get it any way you want: seducing them, talking to them, whatever. I just got a little bit of info from talking to the bar tender, but it wasn’t very much. How does that plan sound?”

  “Uh, yeah, that sounds good.” Akira nodded, though he was a bit nervous to just go up and start talking or dancing with people. Ryo could tell he was nervous just by looking at him with that worried look in his eyes.

   “Here’s an easy way to do it: just go to the dancefloor and start dancing. It should be easier with some booze in you now. Maybe someone will start dancing with you, and you can go from there.”

Akira thought it over, and no matter how much he didn’t want to, Ryo was right. He was a nervous wreck with just going up and starting a conversation with strangers, so maybe dancing could be a way to initiate an interaction.

   “Meet back in like fifteen minutes? Oh, we should probably make a hand signal of some sort that’s basically like ‘come and help me.’ Just in case one of us gets in a jam, and we need a rescue.” Ryo thought for a second of what could be most noticeable. “How about this?” He made a dramatic gesture of pointing at his chest where his heart was. “Or just wave frantically or something.”

   “Oh, yeah, that’s a great idea.” Akira breathed a sigh of relief that they’d have a rescue gesture. He would make sure to keep Ryo in his line of vision and hoped Ryo would do the same.

   “Good luck to you then. Go get ‘em!” he teased and held out his hand to Akira who shook his hand firmly.

   “Thanks, I’ll probably need it.”

On the dancefloor, Akira had to get used to the feeling of occasionally bumping into people by accident. There was already a small crowd moving about, and it was quickly becoming more like a sauna with flashing lights and fog machines. Akira stuck to the edges so he could still see Ryo who had made his way over to a group of people sitting down. He was distracted for a bit by a guy who started dancing with him. Getting a hold of himself, he started a conversation while they were dancing. He found out that many of the people see shadow figures here, but they don’t necessarily go missing right at the club. It’s often after they come home.

   “My friend almost disappeared. Luckily, I came home with him. He was in a weird sort of trance and kept trying to leave.”  
Akira nodded, trying to stay focused on the guy while also occasionally glancing over to where Ryo was. He noted the trance detail. He was sweating even more when he noticed how close the other was getting but willed himself to stay put.

Ryo was currently sidled up to a guy on one of the couches. He found it incredibly easy to get information out of him. It only took just a little bit of attention and the guy was practically telling him everything he wanted to hear. He placed a hand on his chest which made him tell him even more. He smirked as he felt a hand snaking around his waist, hot against his cool skin. The hand was slowly running up his side and coming into contact with where his binder started, but he had gained a lot of confidence in his years. He wasn’t afraid to tell people it was a chest binder. The guy didn’t even seem to notice anyway.

Akira knew Ryo wasn’t in trouble. It looked like he was enjoying the attention, but Akira could feel something bubbling within him as he clenched his fists tightly. What was this? He excused himself as politely as he could, trying to hold in the rage like feeling that was stuck in his chest, threatening to burst out. He walked over there as quickly as he could, suddenly grabbing Ryo’s hand without saying anything and pulling him up to stand up. Without another word, he led him out of there and over to the edge of the dancefloor but still away from the others. Ryo still held onto Akira’s hand but whipped around to face him once they were mostly alone.

   “Akira, what the hell? I was getting some good info out of that guy. I didn’t give you the signal to come help me,” he said, cheeks tinted red from that interaction. He had to admit, it was kind of hot.

   “Sorry, I don’t know. I didn’t like the way he was just feeling you up like that,” he said, looking down at the floor. He was just going with his feelings. “It looked like he was trying to undo something under your shirt, and I didn’t like it. I hope you still got some info though.” He felt bad since he had probably interrupted an important conversation.

   “I-it was fine. He wasn’t forcing himself on me or anything,” Ryo assured, though he was getting flustered when Akira mentioned something under his shirt. Should he tell him? He didn’t feel like here was the right kind of place to do that.

   “Uh, well, let’s just go sit back down. We’ll debrief.” He walked back over to where he had left their drinks, feeling like his mind was going a mile a minute trying to process what just happened.


	7. Chapter 7

Ryo got them out of there before things could get out of hand. From the incident of Akira suddenly pulling him away from that guy, he noticed more shadowy figures appearing near the back walls. He knew this place was connected to everything that was going on, but it wasn’t the epicenter. From the other information he had gotten along with Akira’s, it sounded like the main church here was the place to go. Even being close to Akira, something he had only dreamed of before, he still felt a hanging sense of dread. It was like a pressure on his temples that was telling him to get out of here.

He took a deep breath of the cool night air once they were back outside. It had been getting a little too hot in there with all the bodies around dancing. He stretched his arms above his head and took deep inhales in since he had the binder on. Akira was doing the same, going to lean against the outside of the building to cool down. He had let his feelings get the better of him, but he was still a bit pissed at Ryo for just putting himself into a situation like that. Sure, they were on a job or whatever, but he really didn’t have any limits, did he? Who knew how far he was going to let that creep get?  
Ryo pulled out a cigarette and lit it, attempting to calm himself down. He went over to lean on the building by Akira, staring up at the night sky. It was completely dark now with the stars twinkling with their ghostly, far away light. What was he doing? He was putting Akira in harms way yet again. Had he not learned at all from what happened before? He had basically gone mad from the paranoia and betrayed Akira by outing him as a demon. Because of him, he had to rebuild his life all over again. He was sure most people had forgotten about that since demons have become more of a norm or at least most people confirm their existence but still. Who was to say he wouldn’t try that shit again: lose his mind from the growing threat and do something stupid. He could feel himself starting to sweat again, heart pounding in his chest. Akira was one of the most precious things in the world to him. He nearly lost him before and wasn’t about to let that happen again.

    “You should be more careful, Ryo,” Akira said, breaking the strenuous silence between them. “And I’m not talking about the smoking.”

    “I know you’re not,” Ryo sighed, stealing a glance over at him. Maybe he should just tell him to leave before he fucks up and ruins his life again. “I’m sorry. I’m getting you into all this demon stuff again. I should really learn from my past mistakes, but I always fuck things up somehow. Maybe..we should quit while we’re ahead. I mean, you and I. It seems like it’s always bad luck for you to be around me.”

   “Wait, what are you talking about? Do you mean all that shit that happened? Ryo, I’m just talking about what you did in the club. I didn’t know how far you were going to let that guy go knowing you, so I stepped in before anything could happen. That’s all. You should think before you put yourself in situations like that. You act all tough, but I know you tend to either freeze up or just freak out in situations like that.” He paused for a moment, looking towards the ground then back up to him. “What you did back then was really shitty. My life was ruined, and then all the blame was being put on me. I basically had to run away from all I knew. But even so, I do forgive you. I know the situation was tough, and all the stress had really gotten to you. I admit I wasn’t really myself by the end either, but we’ve both moved on and somewhat built our lives back up. I’m not just gonna leave you while we’re in the middle of an investigation. This city needs us or more people are going to keep disappearing. I’m with you through thick and thin here, okay?” Akira noticed Ryo had started shivering a bit being that he was just in the crop top, and the air was cold tonight. “Here.” He slipped his jacket onto Ryo’s shoulders, rubbing him there to get some heat going.

   “Oh, th-thanks,” Ryo stammered, face heating up as he hadn’t expected that at all. “You really want to keep working with me on this? It’s really okay if you want to leave, go back to your studies and such. I kind of did drag you into this with what was happening with my dad.”

   “It’s really okay. I promise. We do have a lead after all. The church might really be the epicenter of all this activity. If that’s true, you’ll need my help because whatever is causing all this is probably something powerful. You’re my witch after all,” he said with a wink, trying to lighten the mood some.

   “Heh, yeah, I am your witch. I do try my best.” Though he was laughing, he still felt a tense presence around even though they were outside the club now. He could’ve sworn he saw things lurking in the shadows and felt his stress levels sky rocket. “Let’s continue this conversation back at the hotel. I don’t like being out in the open like this.”

Akira nodded and went back over there with Ryo, trying to act nonchalant about the way Ryo was clinging to him as they walked. Despite him having the jacket on, he could still feel him shivering. He wondered if Ryo was also sensitive to the presence of demons too. Hell, maybe he really was a witch in a way.

Once they were back in the room, Ryo handed the jacket back to him and immediately went to his suit case to find something more comfortable to wear for lounging around. He loved the outfit he was wearing, but he needed comfort right now. He raised an eyebrow when he came across a strange item he didn’t recognize in his small duffel. Pulling out a pendant on a silver chain, he fixated on it. Connected to the chain was a deep red zircon crystal, a rather big one too. The aura around it was strange, especially when he touched the crystal itself. He knew that zircon crystals were some of the oldest on Earth, ranging up to three, almost four billion years. How did this even end up here? He didn’t remember ever owning or wearing it at all.

   “What are you looking at?” Akira asked, walking up to him. He looked at the crystal curiously. He also felt a sort of weird vibe from it, almost familiar in a way but only from a small part of him.

   “It’s a zircon crystal, but I honestly have no idea where this came from. I’ve never owned or worn something like this, but I found it in my bag.” With a shrug, Ryo slipped it around his neck, finding it fit perfectly with the zircon resting right under his collar bones.

   “Well, maybe you just packed it in a rush and forgot? It is pretty cool looking. It’ll go well with your witch look,” Akira said, still feeling a bit wary of it, but he kept that to himself. He noticed that other material under Ryo’s shirt that he had noticed at the club when that creep was feeling him up, but he wasn’t entirely sure if he should ask. “Um, Ryo, I’ve been meaning to ask, but what is that you’re wearing under your shirt? Is it like an under shirt or something?”

Ryo glanced down, noticing his binder was showing a bit as it had been at the club too. He could just say it was an undershirt, but Akira was his best friend and also his huge crush since about forever. He was comfortable telling him.

   “Well, no, actually..it’s a chest binder.” He took a moment to slip off his shirt, showing it to him. “It’s something that’s very personal to me, well obviously it is my body. Plus, we were busy with all the demon stuff at the time and younger. And well..I’m going to put this as simply as possible so I don’t make this anymore awkward, but I have boobs basically.” He smirked a bit at the slight look of surprise from Akira. Other than that, he didn’t react in any other visible way. “I developed them during puberty. I have a dick, and I still identify as a guy, but I just happen to have boobs too. I don’t really know why I took so long to tell you. I guess I didn’t want to make things awkward in our friendship or whatever.”

   “Oh, I really don’t mind. I was just curious as to what you were wearing. That’s cool. It doesn’t change anything about us. I promise.” Akira smiled and reached out to give Ryo’s hand a squeeze. “It’s really cool that you’re comfortable enough to tell me that.”

Ryo felt a rush of relief course through him, smiling at Akira. Honestly, what did he do to end up with a friend like him? Well, that was out in the open now. He could tackle the whole “hey, I’ve had a huge ass crush on you since forever, wanna be boyfriends?” later. Right now, this was more than enough.  
They spent the remainder of the night eating snacks and watching whatever they could find on the TV once they had both changed into more comfortable lounging clothes. They enjoyed the bit of relaxation they had before going back to work tomorrow with the mega church as their next destination.


	8. Chapter 8

The church was located a distance away from the main city. A winding road meandered down the steep hill eventually making its way to the huge building that stood like a silent colossus. It looked nothing like how Akira pictured churches in his head. The gothic styles usually came to mind first followed by the church Mrs. Makimura used to bring him and Miki to. It was a small, modest building, but it felt warm and full of life. It may have been small, but it was always full of nice people who were always wanting to talk about whatever. Akira had never really thought much about God or all the religious stuff, but he enjoyed going there just to see all the familiar people and to talk with them. He remembered dragging Ryo along as well a few times when they were kids before he moved away abroad. However, the feeling around this mega church was much different. It was cold and silent. Akira couldn’t feel much warmth from it even though it was a sunny day, and there was life around it. Trees lined the building along with fields of wild flowers that made up the grounds of the place. He imagined it was a great place to have picnics, but there was no one to be seen outside.

   “I wonder if it was always like this,” Akira muttered out loud as he got out of the car with Ryo.

   “Always like what? A church?” Ryo took advantage of the momentary break to light a cigarette, leaning against his car. He definitely needed it before entering a church and having to go ask people questions.

   “Like..dead I guess? I mean, the feeling around it is so cold and isolated. It’s such a nice day too. I would think there would be people outside at least, but there’s no one around. You remember the church I dragged you to with Miki and Mrs. Makimura, right? It’s like the polar opposite to that one.” Akira waited for Ryo to finish up his cigarette, sighing and kicking around some dirt.

   “Oh, sure, I remember that. The food was good at least. The socializing was less so, but..I guess I was just happy to be there with you.” He more or less mumbled the last part, finding it rather embarrassing that he’d bring it up.

   “Wait, really? I thought you absolutely hated it,” Akira chuckled, smiling a bit at that.

   “Like I said, I mostly went to make you happy, okay? Now, let’s get to business here. There may be a good reason why this church is so quiet. It may be the potential epicenter for the demonic activity here. Do you sense anything yet here in the parking lot?”

Ryo extinguished his cigarette, tossing it into the cup he used for an ash tray in his car. He wasn’t some idiot who would just litter the Earth by throwing it on the ground somewhere. Meanwhile, Akira closed his eyes and tried to tune into any demonic presence or energy nearby. A lot of times, it was like finding a needle in a haystack depending on how far away or well hidden the demon was. It was faint. Very faint, but he could feel something off.

   “It’s too far to tell, but I do feel something. Maybe if we go inside, I’ll get a better idea of where it could be or what we’re dealing with.” They had to go inside sometime. The investigation depended on it. He smirked as he offered his hand to Ryo. “It’s okay if you’re afraid of the scary ol’ church, Ryo. I’ll hold your hand,” he teased, sticking out his tongue in pure delight.

   “Hmph, I’ll be fine, dumbie,” he pouted, puffing out his cheeks a bit. He crossed his arms and started to walk forward towards the front doors. He hoped his walking in front of Akira would hide the fact that his cheeks were quickly turning red. Holding Akira’s hand would be rather..nice, but this wasn’t the time for that. They had a job to do.

The main gathering hall of the church was first through the doors. The both of them looked around curiously as it was filled with huge paintings adorning the walls. They looked to be depicting different angels and biblical figures, most likely by the same artist since they were all in the same style. Like a magnet, Ryo found himself drawn to a few of them. There was an angel who looked similar to him. Under the label was “St. Michael: The Archangel.” Crushed under his foot was some kind of hideous demon. The brilliant sword coated in crimson flames illuminated most of the painting along with the archangel’s wings that glimmered gold and red in the light. The two other paintings next to it caught his attention even more. The first was labeled “The Red Dragon.” He recalled the story in Revelations about a great dragon eating a baby or something of the like. It probably had to do with the biblical apocalypse. The other was an angel that looked similar to Michael and a lot like himself. However, instead of looking triumphant, he appeared scared and in pain. He was falling and engulfed by flames ranging from hues of orange to purple. The Earth was far below him, but there was no doubt that he was falling. To confirm that, the label read “The Fall of Lucifer.”

   “I see you’re quite interested in angels, aren’t you?” A strange voice right next to him made Ryo practically jump and saw a middle aged man standing by him wearing a button up shirt and slacks. “Sorry if I surprised you there. I’m the pastor of this church. I haven’t seen you two before. Are you new in town?”

   “Oh, nice to meet you. I’m Ryo Asuka, and this is my partner Akira Fudo. We’re supernatural hunters of sorts. We came to this city since it was having demon problems. We’re here to fix that. We haven’t investigated this church yet, so we thought we’d take a look while we’re investigating.” Ryo took a mental note to ask Akira if he felt anything around this guy. He seemed rather harmless, but he could never be too sure when it came to demons. If anything, they’d want to appear as harmless as possible.

   “Oh, well, I certainly hope you don’t find any demons lurking around here in this holy place, but it is reassuring to know two well known demon hunters are here to help the city. And don’t worry, we’re not one of those strict churches that looks down on witches. If it gets the job done, then I happily welcome a witch here.” He smiled at the both of them, giving Akira a little nod when he walked over.

   “Well, that’s good to hear. I know many people are afraid of me because they don’t understand me, but I really mean no harm to people. I’m here to help.” That had caught him a bit off-guard. He wasn’t expecting the whole witch rumor to break out so soon. “Oh, to answer your question, angels do interest me some. I find Lucifer’s story to be fascinating.” Ryo didn’t really know much about any angels, but he could at least act like he did.

   “Oh, yes, there are many who are. I’d recommend the Book of Enoch if you’re really interested in angels. It’s an ancient book, and we happen to have it in our archives in this church. It has all you need to know about them. Well, I’ll be in the chapel if you need anything. There may be some areas that are locked, just let me know if you need to investigate those, and I’ll unlock them for you.” He bowed to them one last time before walked off to the left towards the chapel area.

   “He seems nice,” Akira said, looking over the painting of Lucifer that Ryo had been looking at. “Lucifer’s really beautiful, huh? It’s too bad he’s in pain in this depiction.”

   “Yeah, too bad.” Ryo couldn’t quite find where it was coming from, but he felt a sudden irritation just looking at it. He started to walk away before the urge to punch it got too intense.

   “Hey, everything okay?” Akira followed after him. He could feel how tense Ryo had become, hearing his heart rate increase dramatically.

   “Yeah, it’s fine. Let’s just investigate so we can leave.”

Akira figured it was better not to pry further even though he knew for certain that everything wasn’t alright. Maybe Ryo would talk to him about it later.  
At the time, the church was mostly empty. There were a few other people besides the pastor there that worked in the offices and ran things. They were mostly cooped up in the office area, not really wanting to go out since they had work to do. It was strange to Akira to see a church so empty. It was more like some kind of mausoleum, eerily quiet. Walking around, they did find that a few kids who introduced themselves as being in the youth group there had had a meeting, so there was a good amount of them. Ryo let Akira ask most of the questions, not really as much of a people person, and he didn’t feel like he was in the right mood to do so. Besides, Akira was a lot more social and better suited for all the questioning. He glanced over with an annoyed look when he noticed a girl getting rather friendly with Akira. She kept touching his arm or shoulder every now and then, and Akira, being as oblivious as ever, didn’t seem to mind at all. Ryo felt the familiar sting of jealousy punching into his chest. No, he was not going to let this happen. Besides, when Ryo had been letting that guy feel him up at the club, it was business, to get information. This was just blatant flirting. Without a second thought, Ryo stepped in right next to Akira, putting himself between Akira and the girl. He wrapped an arm around Akira’s with a snide smirk.

   “Find out anything interesting, honey?” he asked Akira in an overly sweet voice, lightly tracing his fingers along his jaw.  
Akira looked just as bewildered as the girl. “I’m afraid my dear boyfriend here gets a bit carried away when investigating.”  
She nodded and relayed what she had been telling Akira to Ryo who nodded and soon led Akira in the opposite direction saying a “thank you.” Akira didn’t seem to really be making a huge attempt to push Ryo away as they rounded the corner and were out of sight.

   “So..am I your boyfriend now or something? What was with that? I thought you were mad for some reason.” Akira stopped and placed his hands on Ryo’s shoulders.

   “I was irritated, but it wasn’t because of you, I swear. I just..didn’t like how that girl was touching you and practically flirting with you,” Ryo said, crossing his arms. He glanced off to the side, rather embarrassed by his actions now. The grin that crossed Akira’s face just made him want to slap it off of him.

   “Ohhh, I see. You were jealous,” Akira chuckled, patting his head. “You know, you can just tell me if you like me.”  
Ryo knew just how red his face probably was based on how hot his cheeks were getting. It was true that he had had a crush on Akira basically since they were kids, but…he couldn’t just tell him that, could he? Though, Akira knew he was intersex now, and his body wasn’t the usual guy’s body, but he didn’t mind at all. Maybe..

   “I..I can tell you at a different place. Right now, we have a job to do. We can’t afford distractions right now,” he said, finally meeting Akira’s eyes again. Damn, he could really get lost in those beautiful, dark eyes of his.

   “Well, sure, but maybe this’ll put you in a better mood.”  
Ryo watched with bated breath as Akira was clearly leaning in closer to him. He knew he could probably hear how much his heart rate was sky rocketing right now with that damn hearing of his. His eyes moved to look down at his lips which were slowly approaching his own. Was this really happening right now? He was just getting ready for the impact when there was a “bang” that came from somewhere nearby followed by a blood curdling scream.

   “The chapel,” Ryo muttered. “It had to have come from there.”  
Akira reluctantly pulled away, but he took Ryo’s hand in his as they both ran over there as fast as their legs could carry them. Akira could definitely feel a presence now, and it was strong, crazy strong. He gulped as he could feel the waves of aggression and blood lust. Whatever they were about to face, it wasn’t going to be easy.

**Author's Note:**

> Ayy! This'll be my first devilman fic ^^ I thought hmm, the demon and ghost hunting in supernatural fits Akira and Ryo rather well, and I just wanted to write a fic where action and drama still happens but no apocalypse and Akira and Ryo can actually have a nice relationship, so here's the first chapter! I thought them already having a history of demon hunting together would make it easier to get things going with the plot.  
> (Hope you caught my Always Sunny reference in the title)


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